Method and device for packaging pouches with soft contents in folding boxes



July 8, 1969 w. H. MAHNCKE 3,453,300

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PACKA G POUCHES WITH SOFT CONTENTS IN FOL G BOXES Filed July 11. 1967 Sheet .of e

I N VEN TOR. Wi/fiam H. Ma/mcke BY mm 3,453,800 AGING POUCHES WITH SOFT CONTENTS LDI ES Sheet JNVENTOR.

Q ATTORNEY M C m 0 M H m .0 w W BY W y 1969 w. H. MAHNCKE 3,453,800

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PACKAGING POUCHES WITH SOFT CONTENTS IN FOLDING BOXES Filed July 11, 1967 sfieet Z of 6 INVENTOR. W/Y/Mm Ma/mcke 44;, A TTOR/VE) 3,453,800 CONTENTS July 8, 1969 METHOD AND DEVICE F R P y 8, 1969 w. H. MAHNCKE 3,453,800

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PACKAGING POUCHES WITH SOFT CONTENTS IN FOLDING BOXES Filed July 11. 1967 sheet 5 or 6 INVENTOR. W/Y/iam h. Ma/mcke I 4.), ATTORNEY 3,453,800 WITH SOFT CONTENTS July 8,. 1969 W. H. MAHNCKE METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PACKAGING POUCHES .IN FOLDING BOXES Sheet 6 of 6 Filed July 11, 1967 INVENTOR. Will/am hf Ma/mc'ke aw. ATTORNEY United States Patent U.S. C]. 53-29 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present improvements involve the insertion of nonrigid pouches containing non-rigid material, for example sealed polyethylene bags containing soft fruit or paste-like contents, into folding boxes. The boxes and pouches are carried by two conveyors running side by side past an elongated nozzle arrangement alongside the pouch conveyor which discharges compressed air as a blanket transversely across both conveyors, thus floating the pouches into sleeve type cartons which at their far ends are par tially open during loading. A mechanical pusher may adiditionally be provided to assist the pouches in their movement toward the boxes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention It is known to package rigid trays of frozen food, or food about to be frozen, in folding boxes or cartons of paperboard by transporting the trays and the boxes side by side on separate conveyors. The boxes or cartons are of conventional sleeve form comprising body panels articulated to both ends of the tubular box body. Prior to insertion of the trays into the cartons the initially flat collapsed tubular blanks are first squared to form an open sleeve whose far end is then closed by either sealing or mechanical locking of the closure panels. Mechanical pusher means then slide the trays in a direction transverse to the conveyor movement into the carton through the open near end which is subsequently folded closed and sealed or locked.

Attempts to package soft pouches in an equivalent manner leads to difliculties, as the pouches deform and bulge under the influence of a pusher. Incompletely inserted pouches interfere with the box closing mechanism which tends to damage them. Damage to pouches necessitates stopping of the packaging machine and frequently involves a clean up operation which is time consuming, particularly if the pouch contents comprise syrup or fruit uice.

Difliculties arise further from substantial variations in the friction between the pouches and the conveyor surface on which they rest.

The present improvements employ the use of a blast of compressed air transversely directed across the pouch conveyor for moving the pouches into the cartons.

Description of the prior art It is known in this connection to sort postal packages transported on a conveyor band by blowing the packages off the conveyor by blasts of transversely directed jets of compressed air into appropriate wide mouthed chutes which the packages enter horizontally before being downwardly deflected by gravity. The jets of air are produced by appropriately controlled nozzles arranged in groups opposite the chutes, one, two or more nozzles of a group being actuated depending on the size and weight of the package.

3,453,800 Patented July 8, 1969 It is further known to clear conveyor belts which normally carry staple fibers by horizontally disposed groups of nozzles on arms which may be swung at an acute angle across the belt in order to sweep the fibers into by-pass chutes alongside the belt.

Pouches cannot be handled in the known manner, as the path of the pouches under the influence of the stream ofair is diflicult to control. It is known, for example, that in the sorting of postal packages the packages change their orientation materially, tend to tumble, and must therefore be caught in correspondingly large-mouthed chutes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present improvements employ laterally extending partitioning elements on the conveyor between which the pouches rest for the purpose of limiting the spread of the stream of air within which the pouch is entrained. This arrangement not only results in good directional control, but also insures maintenance of a blanket of compressed air beneath the pouch, as the air blanket is prevented from spreading out at right angles to the partitions. The stream of air which thus transports and floates the pouches is essentially a laminar flow and its laminar characteristic is maintained to a substantial degree at the cartons by permitting at least a portion of the air stream to pass through the sleeve type carton, the far ends of which are only partially closed so as to prevent escape of the pouch through the far end while yet permitting the escape of air entering the carton.

The complete closing of the cartons takes place at 10- cations downstream of the loading zone or station.

At the moment of loading of the cartons the sleeve type carton structure may be considered as being subjected to a difference in air pressure on opposite ends, the higher pressure promoting the entry of the pouch into the sleeve whose near closure flaps may be spread apart slightly to form an entrance funnel. The flow of air through the carton may further be aided by providing a condition of less than atmospheric pressure at the partially closed far end, for example by means of a suction box or vacuum plenum chamber along a portion of the conveyor.

Regardless of how the flow of air through the tubular boxes is brought about, pouch-defiecting turbulence is minimized and the incidence of failure of complete insertion of the pouches, even at high production rates of the order of over per minute, is extremely low.

It is reduced to practically zero by the aid of a mechanical follower device which nudges recalcitrant pouches toward the sleeves which the pouches then enter because ofdthe aforementioned difference in pressure at opposite en s.

It may be mentioned in this connection that it is known temporarily to float sheets of paper or paperboard on blankets of air during a procedure called jogging for the purpose of aligning the edges of the sheet with the sides of a stack on which the sheet is being deposited. In that case, however, oppositely pointed blasts of air are directed under the sheet about to be deposited, a procedure not applicable to pouches.

The various objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the detailed description which follows accompanied by drawings showing, for the purpose of illustration, a manner in which the novel method may be carried out and mechanical equipment for performing the method. The invention also resides in certain new and original steps and sequences of steps hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the characteristic features of this invention which are believed to be novel will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of it in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the loading station or zone of a packaging machine embodying the invention, the machine being shown without cartons and pouches, but the pneumatic system being shown in operation;

FIG. 2 shows the machine portion of FIG. 1 with pouches in three different stages of insertion into cartons;

FIG. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale, across the conveyors into a carton;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the machine portion of FIGS. 1 and 2, an intermediate conveyor being lifted off its track to expose a nozzle system associated with it;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a filled carton at a moment of engagement by an end flap folding device and opposite a final air nozzle for inserting the pouch to its full depth; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the entire packaging machine of which FIGS. 1 to 5 are partial views.

In the following description and in the claims various details of structure and method will be identified by specific names for convenience. The names, however, are intended to be generic in their application. Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification certain specific disclosure of the invention is made for the purpose of explanation of broader aspects of the invention, but it is understood that details may be modified in various respects without departure from the principles of the invention, that the several steps of the method may be modified and that the invention may be practiced by other forms of elements than specifically shown.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a main machine frame 11 supports three conveyors 12, 13 and 14 on parallel tracks. Farthest remote from the observer is a pouch conveyor 12 composed of flat-topped links 15 which are centrally articulated to one another at 16.

Compartments 17 are formed on the conveyor 12 by pairs of transversely extending partitions 18. Further partition elements 19 are arranged about midway between the compartments for reasons which will appear later.

The flat-topped links 15 are preferably made of a tough plastic and it is preferred to use light colored links within the compartments 17 and dark colored links elsewhere. This enables the machine supervisor to spot any unfilled compartment in operation and also facilitates the manual placing of pouches on the conveyor, in the event this is done manually.

An intermediate conveyor 13 moves alongside the pouch conveyor 12 and at the same speed. It is also composed of flat-topped links 15 and has compartments 20 formed on it by partition elements 21 which are set at a slight slant in plan view, so as to be spaced slightly farther apart at the far side of the conveyor 13 adjacent conveyor 12, and to be spaced slightly less on the near side than the width of the folding boxes to be filled. This is also apparent from FIG. 3 later to be described.

A carton conveyor 14 on the near side of the intermediate conveyor is preferably composed of several link chains provided with upwardly extending lugs and driven as a unit. The respective chains are conveniently located in the illustration by their lugs.

A pair of trailing lugs 22, 22' are carried by the outer pair of chains. The upper run of the nearest outer chain is seen at 23 and moves to the right. The return run of the same chain is seen at 24 and its lugs 22 point downwardly as the lower run moves to the left. The other outer chain is correspondingly constructed and arranged, but is not visible except for the lug 22' thereon.

The lugs 22 and 22' are transversely aligned. Their purpose is to push folding boxes along and to define the rear boundary of compartments in which the boxes are carried. The front boundary of the compartments is defined by a further pair of lugs 25, 25 mounted on a central link chain, or pair of link chains, visible at 26 just below a hold down rail 27.

The several chains of which the conveyor 14 is composed move at the same speed. The width or length of each of its compartments is adjustable to accommodate boxes of different width. This is accomplished in a known manner by adjusting the central chain or chains 26 relatively t0 the outer chains.

A pneumatic system is provided to generate a stream or blast of air transversely across the conveyors and substantially parallel to the top surfaces of the conveyors 12 and 13 towards the box conveyor 14.

A slit nozzle 28 extends along the far edge of the pouch conveyor 12 and is supplied with compressed air through a hose from a manifold 29 of a multistage rotary compressor 30 (FIG. 6).

In order to illustrate the action of the air system strips of paper 31, 31 were taped to the conveyor 12 within its compartments 17. It is seen that the strips 31 in the compartment 17 farthest to the left, and outside the range of the nozzle 28, are not acted upon by any air stream and that the strips 31' in the next compartment are bent over towards the observer, thus indicating a fast moving blanket of air across the compartment. This flow of air displaces a pouch in the last mentioned compartment towards the intermediate conveyor 13.

The far edge of the intermediate conveyor 13 is bordered by a further slit nozzle 33 fed by a separate supply hose to intensify the transverse flow of air and to add to the lifting or floating action produced by the air issued from the slit nozzle 28.

The leftmost compartment 20 of the intermediate conveyor 13 is entering the range of the slit nozzle 33 and paper strips 32 flutter slightly. In the next compartment 20 to the right the strips 32 lie almost flat and bent over to a greater degree than the strips of the compartment 17 of conveyor 12 with which comypartment 20 is aligned.

The construction of the slit nozzle 33 is best seen in FIG. 4. The nozzle is formed by appropriately bent lips 36, 37 of sheet metal spot welded at intervals at 38.

A further series of round nozzles 34 is provided in the top of a plenum chamber or box 35 supplied with compressed air for the purpose of lifting pouches slightly at the zone of entry into the boxes, as will later be seen.

Turning now to FIG. 2, pouches P arrive from the left in the compartments 17 of the pouch conveyor 12. Boxes B arrive from the left in the compartments of the box conveyor 14 between leading lugs 25, 25' and trailing lugs 22, 22' and underneath the hold down rail 27.

The boxes or cartons are of a conventional tubular or sleeve type style and comprise a box body composed of four body wall panels 39, 40, 41, 42 and a glue flap 4'3 articulated to one another along parallel fold lines (see FIG. 3). The glue flap 43 is adhesively secured to the wall panel 39 resulting in the formation of a tubular structure which can be prefabricated and supplied as flat collapsed tubular blanks. These blanks are stacked in the magazine 44 of a machine (FIG. 6) of otherwise known construction which grasps the flat collapsed blanks, one by one, by means of vacuum cups, squares the blanks so as to give them an expanded tubular shape and inserts them into the compartments of the box conveyor 14.

The box structure comprises end panels which close the sleeve structure when folded at right angles to the body wall panels 39 to 42. The folded closure panels may either be glue sealed, heat sealed, or mechanically locked.

The illustrated box blanks are designed for mechanical locking and comprise, at each end, a pair of opposite inner end flaps 45, 46 (see FIG. 3) articulated to wall panels 41 and 39, respectively, an inner end panel 47 and an outer end panel 48 fitted with locking tabs 49 insertable into insertion slots 51.

It is seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 that the outer end panel at the mouth of the carton through which the pouch is to be inserted is folded upwardly and maintained in this position by a curved folding guide 50. The inner end flaps 45 and 46 are folded away from the mouth in the manner of a funnel and are visible in FIG. 2 through the ,apertures in the trailing lugs 22 at 45. The inner end panel at the mouth of the carton is bent downward, adjacent the row of nozzles 34, a small portion of the flap 47 being visible at the left forward box corner adjacent an insertion slot 51 for the locking tabs 49 (FIG. 3).

The far end of the carton body is partially closed before arriving at the loading station (see FIG. 3). The inner end flaps 45, 4-6 are folded in by a rotary folder similar to the folder 55 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the inner end panel 47 is folded thereover and maintained upright by a folding rail 52 (FIG. 3). The outer end panel extends horizontally (see FIG. 2) and is guided on a rail 53.

Returning to FIG. 2, it is seen that the insertion slots 51 at the partially closed end act as air vents. Additional and larger air vents are provided by notched out edge portions 54 of the inner end panels. These portionsmay be of substantial area and are subsequently covered by the downfolded outer end panel when the carton end is closed.

Summarizing the condition at which the carton arrives at the loading station (FIG. 3): the entrance or mouth is open and its closure flaps are bent back in funnel fashion. The opposite end is partially closed, so as to retain an inserted pouch, but sufliciently open to permit passage of air through the tubular carton body and out the partially closed end.

Referring to FIG. 2, the leftmost pouch P has not yet come under the influence of the slit nozzle 28. The carton B is in a position to receive the pouch.

The pouch P in the next compartment is on its way to the carton B and has moved partially onto the intermediate conveyor 13, in which position an additional stream of air is directed against its underside from 33 and 34 (FIG. 3). The volume of compressed air between the pouch and the conveyor surfaces is restrained from spreading by the partition elements 18 of conveyor 12 and the elements 21 of the conveyor 13 which are provided with upper lips 56 curved over the path of the pouch. This arrangement (see FIG. 3) directs the pouch effectively into the carton.

In the third position from the left in FIG. 2 the pouch is almost completely inserted in the box shell B During the travel of the pouches across the conveyors the pouches perform a fluttering motion and experience very little friction.

Means may be provided for nudging recalcitrant pouches into the cartons positively to insure complete insertion before the carton moves into the range of the closing mechanism.

In the illustrated form of machine an overhead conveyor chain 57 with depending lugs 58 on brackets 59 comprises a slanted run within which the conveyor is guided between a track plate 60 and front rail 61.

The depending lugs are adapted to engage the trailing portion of lagging pouches. In normal operation, however, the pouches are not contacted by the lugs, but move ahead of them.

The linear speed of the conveyor 57 is slightly higher than that of conveyors 12 and 13 so that its component in the direction of the conveyors 12, 13 is equal to the rate of the conveyors.

The chain 57 is trained around three sprocket Wheels 62, 63 and 64 of which 62 and 63 are idlers and 64 is a drive wheel mounted on a shaft 65 driven from the main machine drive over an appropriate gear train.

The chain assembly also supports a microswitch 66 fitted with a depending feeler arm 67 which extends into the path of the boxes and stops the machine in case of absence of a box, so as to prevent a filled pouch from being placed on the box conveyor.

The loaded box B continues moving to the right into a position opposite a further nozzle 68 which directs a final blast of air against the end of the pouch. This is a further precaution against incomplete insertion. In the position shown in FIG. 5 the box is identified as B; and the pouch as P In this illustrated position the end flaps 45, 46 are released and the leading flap 46 has engaged the periphery of the rotary folder 55 which folds the flap into closing position. The folder is provided with a peripheral cutout 69 which subsequently catches the trailing flap 45 and folds it into closing position.

The inner end panel of the box is then folded up by an,upwardly slanted folding bar 70 (FIG. 6) and the outer end panel 48 is folded down by a similar downwardly slanted bar 71. A tucking device 72 finally inserts the locking tabs 49, thus completing the box closing procedure.

On the opposite side of the machine a corresponding tucking device 172 is mounted and the folding bar which downwfolds the outer end panel of the far end of the box is seen at 171.

Referring further to FIG. 6, a microswitch 73 with 3. depending feeler arm 74 is mounted over the pouch conveyor 12 near the far end of the machine. This feeler mechanism detects the absence of a pouch from any of the compartments of the pouch conveyor 12. If a pouch is absent from a conveyor compartment, the arm 74 drops to its lowest position and a signal goes out to the blank squaring unit generally designated as 75 to omit a blank. As a result the corresponding compartment of the box conveyor remains vacant.

It is thus assured that the arrival of a box is always made dependent on the simultaneously arrival of a pouch at the loading zone.

As the compartments of the pouch conveyor are spaced a false signal would be generated if the arm 74 were permitted to drop into the space between compartments 17 (FIG. 1). It is for this reason that an additional partition element 19 is installed between the compartments 17, which then maintains the arm' 74 elevated between compartments.

The blank squaring unit 75 is of known construction and a detailed disclosure of it is found in Patent 3,l42,- 232, of July 28, 1964, to C. J. Pierce, Jr.

SUMMARY OF OPERATION Pouches P arrive from the left on conveyor 12 (FIG. 2) and for each pouch a box arrives on. the conveyor 14. When the pouch moves into the range of a blanket-like blast of compressed air issued from the slit nozzle 28 alongside conveyor 12, it becomes entrained in the flow of air and moves across an intermediate conveyor 13 whose transverse partitions funnel it toward the open mouth of the box B which lies in line with the pouch. Additional air issues from a further slit nozzle 33 and hole nozzles 34 which help maintain the air cushion on which the pouch floats.

The box end facing the pouch is open mouthed and the opposite end is only partially closed to permit the air stream to pass throught the box.

Depending lugs 58 of an overhead conveyor contact and push a pouch in the event it is not properly carried by the air stream.

After insertion of the pouch, the mouth end of the carton and the still unclosed end panel or panels at the opposite box end are closed at an area which lies just beyond the right boundary of FIG. 2.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of inserting pouches filled with contents into cartons comprising four walls articulated to one another to form a sleeve, and closure flaps on opposite ends of the sleeve which method comprises conveying the carton sleeves on a carton conveyor, the carton axis being substantially horizontal and transverse to the direction of advance;

conveying the pouches on a pouch conveyor of the table top type moving alongside the carton conveyor and substantially at the same speed;

partially closing the far end of the carton sleeves to a degree sufiicient to prevent escape of a pouch therefrom while yet permitting passage of a flow of air through the sleeve;

directing a blast of air onto and across said pouch conveyor at a zone at which the cartons on the adjacent conveyor are partially closed to transfer the pouch into the partially closed sleeve through its near end;

and then completely closing the far end of the sleeve and its near end. 2. In the method of inserting a pouch of contents into a carton of the sleeve type comprising all panels articulated to one another and closure panels articulated to opposite ends of the sleeve, in which method a pouch and a carton are conveyed substantially parallel to each other and substantially at the same level and in which a blast of air is directed against the pouch to propel it towards the carton, the step of closing the far end of the sleeve carton to a degree sufiicient to prevent escape therefrom of a pouch entering the sleeve, which pouch is accompanied by a volume of air moving with the pouch, but maintaining the far end sufficiently open to vent air therethrough.

3. In the method of erecting a carton from a sleeve type carton blank comprising body wall panels articulated to one another so as to form a sleeve and closure flaps articulated to opposite ends of the sleeve, inserting pou'ch enclosed contents in the carton and closing the resulting package, the method comprising squaring the originally flat collapsed tubular blank so as to form a hollow sleeve; advancing the sleeve on a sleeve conveyor on which the sleeve is supported against recollapsing substantially horizontal and with its axis transverse to the direction of advance towards and past a loading station; and conveying the pouches on a substantially parallel conveyor to the loading station at which a pouch is aligned with a sleeve into which it is to be inserted and at which transfer means are provided for tranferring the pouch into a sleeve aligned therewith characterized in that (a) certain closure flaps at the far end of the sleeve are folded into carton closing position prior to arrival of the sleeve at the loading station to prevent escape of the pouch therefrom while yet leaving at least one closure flap in open position to permit passage of air through the far end of the carton at the loading station; in that (b) the transfer of the pouch from the pouch conveyor into the sleeve is effected by a substantially horizontally directed blast of air; and in that (c) the closure of the far end of the carton sleeve is not completed until after insertion of the pouch therein.

4. The method of combining as a package a pouch of contents and a carton comprising four body wall panels articulated to one another along parallel fold lines so as to form a tubular carton body and four end closure flaps articulated to each of the opposite ends of the body, the method being characterized by the steps of squaring a fiat collapsed tubular carton blank so as to form a squared tubular shell, advancing said squared shell in a direction substantially normal to its axis along a certain path; advancing a pouch of contents along a second path substantially parallel to said certain path and at substantially the same rate; folding at least two, but less than four, closure flaps into closing position at the far end of the shell with respect to the pouch; directing a transverse blast of air against one end of the pouch in a direction in which at least a portion of the said air passes into said shell and out through its incompletely closed far end, said blast of air transversely propelling the pouch into said shell while pouch and shell are advancing; and finally folding into least a portion ofthe said air passes into said shell and closing position those end panels at the far and the near end of the shell which had not yet been folded into closing position.

5. The method of enclosing a pouch of contents within a tubular enclosure of paperboard which comprises advancing said pouch and said enclosure side-by-side in a direction at right angles to the axis of the tubular enclosure; partially closing the far end of the tubular enclosure to a degree sufficient to retain the pouch while yet permitting passage of at least a portion of the hereinafter recited blast of air therethrough; directing against said pouch a blast of air transversely to the direction of advance to move said pouch into the tubular enclosure through its near end; and thereafter completing the closure of the far end and closing the near end of the tubular enclosure.

6. A device for packaging a pouch of contents in a carton of the type comprising a body portion formed of body wall panels articulated to one another and closure panels at both ends of the body portion, said closure panels being adapted to be folded at right angles to the Wall panels to close the carton, the device comprising a box conveyor comprising upstanding lugs forming compartments for carrying therein cartons whose body panels are in squared condition;

a pouch conveyor on the near side of, and parallel to, said box conveyor, said pouch conveyor being of the fiat top type and comprising upstanding lugs forming compartments in which pouches may rest, said compartments being aligned with the compartments of the box conveyor, both conveyors being driven at the same speed;

a nozzle elongated in the direction of travel of the conveyors for discharging air under pressure across the pouch conveyor at a loading station, the air being directed against the end, and under, pouches on the pouch conveyor for moving said pouches towards said box conveyor;

first end panel folding means on the far side of the box conveyor and upstream of said loading station for folding certain, but less than all, of the respective end panels into closing position so as to leave the far end of the carton partially open for passage of air through the carton and out its far end;

second end panel folding means on the far side of the box conveyor and downstream of said loading station for folding the remainder of the far end panels into closing position;

and means on the near side of the box conveyor and downstream of said loading station for folding the end panels of the near side of the carton into closing position.

7. A device according to claim 6 in which a further conveyor is provided above the pouch conveyor at the loading station, said further conveyor comprising a portion obliquely disposed with respect to the direction of advance of the pouch conveyor and progressively approaching the box conveyor as the conveyors advance, said further conveyor comprising depending lugs adapted to engage the trailing portion of pouches against which the air blast is directed to aid, positively, in advancing the pouches towards the boxes.

8. A device according to claim 6 in which a transfer conveyor is arranged between the pouch conveyor and the box conveyor, said transfer conveyor being of the fiat top type and substantially level with said pouch conveyor, the transfer conveyor j comprising upstanding lugs substantially in line with the lugs of the pouch conveyor; and a further longitudinally extended nozzle between the pouch conveyor and the transfer conveyor for discharging a further stream of air across said transfer conveyor towards said box conveyor.

9. A packaging device comprising, in combination, a first carrier comprising spaced partition elements for supporting on the carrier, and between said elements, sleeve type carton blanks in squared tubular condition, said blanks comprising end closure flaps at both ends; a second carrier comprising a flat top surface and spaced transversely extending partition elements for supporting on the top surface and between said last named elements pouches containing contents; means for moving said two carriers side-by-side with the "partition elements substantially in alignment; a longitudinally extended nozzle for directing a flow of compressed air across the surface of said second carrier and against any pouch thereon towards said first carrier and through any squared tubular blank thereon within a loading station; means for par- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,970,418 2/1961 Mulvany et al. 53-251 3,105,337 10/1963 Clanin et al. 53-1251 3,295,289 1/1967 Critchell 53--28 3,329,469 7/ 1967 Stadelman 302-11 THBRON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner.

' US. Cl. X.R.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 569 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 453 800 Dated y 3 1969 Inventor(s) William H- Mahncke It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 7, line 25, for "all" read --wa11- Column 8, line 10 should be deleted since it is a repetition of Column 8, line 6 "least a portion of the said air passes into said shell and" SIGNED AND SEALED OCT 21 1969 (SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. memhml WILLIAM E. 501mm, .m.

A Officer Commissioner of Pat ents 

